Cancer is 'most feared illness'

14/08/2011

More than a third (35 per cent) of people in the UK are more afraid of cancer than other life-threatening illnesses, a new survey has found.

A YouGov poll of 2,056 people, commissioned by Cancer Research UK, revealed that the most feared form of cancer is brain cancer (16 per cent), followed by bowel cancer for 12 per cent of men and breast cancer for 13 per cent of women.

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One in five respondents said they thought breast cancer had the best survival rate, with just 12 per cent citing testicular cancer.

In fact, more than 80 per cent of women now survive breast cancer for five years or more, while more than 95 per cent of men diagnosed with testicular cancer are cured of the disease.

Dr Lesley Walker, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer information, said: 'Cancer is a very emotive subject and it's understandable why so many people fear it among other diseases.

'What's heartening is that overall survival from all cancers has doubled over the last 40 years and this optimistic message is reaching the public who have rightly picked breast and testicular cancer, which are both cancers with high survival rates.'

The survey also revealed that 25 per cent of respondents cited Alzheimer's disease as their most feared illness, while just three per cent chose heart disease.

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